With the pressure of an extremely close battle for the final spot in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs squarely on their shoulders in the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway, Matt DiBenedetto and the crew of the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Mustang came through when it counted and now head to Darlington Raceway among the elite 16 teams in the sport.

DiBenedetto dodged several multi-car crashes in Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 to finish 12th and secure his first Playoff appearance and the second for his Wood Brothers team in five full-time seasons under the current playoff format. The final margin was just six points, as DiBenedetto and the Menards/Dutch Boy team earned the 16th and final Playoff berth, fighting back a spirited charge from seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson and his No. 48 team.

“First off, I’m so happy for this team and Menards, Dutch Boy, the whole Menard family, Motorcraft/Quick Lane and the Wood Brothers, Ford, our alliance with Team Penske, you name it,” DiBenedetto told a network TV audience upon climbing from the No. 21 Mustang. “This means so much to get this for them.”

“I’m glad we were able to take it home. I wasn’t happy with the finish, but I came in here saying all that mattered was I just wanted to make these Playoffs, and the finishing position didn’t matter too much.”

DiBenedetto, who picked up four Stage points as the team employed a fuel-saving strategy in the second Stage and ran in the lead pack for most of the race, said the moment of making the Playoffs was made more special by the fact that his parents drove down from North Carolina and were in the stands at Daytona along with his brother who is in the United States Air Force and was accompanied by his girlfriend.

“This is very big, really special, and I’m glad we’ll be able to get to work and do the best we can the rest of the season,” he said. “We have a lot of really good tracks and short tracks coming.”

DiBenedetto said that he and the No. 21 team are in a good position, performance-wise, as they start the Playoffs

“I knew at the start of the season that we had work to do as a team, and this year, 2020, is crazy,” he said. “We kept getting better and better, and through the mid part of the stretch I feel like we hit our stride as a team and were running up front weekly.

“We hit a few tracks that were a struggle, but overall we are as ready as ever to contend for a championship, especially when we are at our best, working together as a team.

“It is perfect timing for us. That is why it was so important for us to make the playoffs, because we knew that if we made them that we deserved every bit to be in them as a team and that we can really compete and make a heck of a splash and contend down to the end.”

DiBenedetto acknowledged that luck was on his side as he dodged one wreck after another at Daytona, but Eddie Wood said there was more to the team’s success than good fortune. Wood said he was proud of the way DiBenedetto and the Menards/Dutch Boy crew led by Greg Erwin stepped up at Daytona.

“They had the weight of the world on them, but Matt drove a great race, and Greg made some great calls,” Wood said. “They handled the pressure like the professionals they are. They had a plan and they stuck to it.”

But that didn’t mean Wood was relaxing during the race as DiBenedetto battled Jimmie Johnson and eventual race winner William Byron for one of the two remaining Playoff berths.

“Matt was close to all the wrecks but managed to avoid getting damage,” he said. “And it seemed like he was always around the two drivers he was battling for the Playoff spots.”

Wood said that in the minutes after the checkered flag fell, his phone lit up with 60 messages and showed no signs of slowing up.

Most were from people that support the team and have become more like family members than business associates.

“Playoffs or no Playoffs, there are so many people that have helped to put us in this position. Edsel Ford, Jim Farley, all the people at Ford Performance, Motorcraft/Quick Lane, Menards, the Menard Family, John and Paul Menard and all the great people at Team Penske. It’s a long list, but when you boil it all down, good things happen when you are surrounded by good people.”

“They all treat us like family, and they always have.”

DiBenedetto will start the 10-race, season-ending run to the championship, which begins Sunday night at Darlington Raceway, from 16th place. His points total will be reset to 2,000, and he starts the Playoffs 57 points behind leader Kevin Harvick. In between them are six other Ford drivers, giving the Blue Oval contingent half of the Playoff spots.

“We’re excited for Ford to be so well represented in the Playoff field,” Wood said. “And we’re proud to be a part of that.”

Menards

A family owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, WI. Menards has more than 300 retail stores located throughout the Midwest in the states of IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and WY. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader. It’s famous slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” is widely known and easy to remember. For more information, visit Menards.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 30, 2020

WILLIAM BRYON SCORES FIRST CAREER VICTORY AT DAYTONA FINALE
Claims Berth in NASCAR Cup Series 2020 Playoffs

DAYTONA, FL. – (August 29, 2020) – William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 1LE, won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race at Daytona International Speedway in a wild overtime finish, and secured a spot in the upcoming 10-race season-ending Playoffs. The victory was Byron’s first in 98 NCS races, and ninth top-10 finish in 2020. He led 24 of the 164-laps and scored a .119-second victory at the checkered flag. It was the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s first win in six races at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

Hendrick teammate, Chase Elliott, claimed second place in the No. 9 Hooters Camaro ZL1 1LE, and Bubba Wallace finished fifth in his No. 43 World Wide Technology Camaro ZL1 LE. Alex Bowman, in the No. 88 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports, finished seventh, and Brendan Gaughan, in the No. 62 Beard Motorsports/South Point Camaro ZL1 1LE was eighth, to give Team Chevy five of the top eight finishing positions.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson, behind the wheel of the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE, was involved in an 11-car crash with two laps remaining before the ultimate overtime finish. The Hendrick Motorsports driver rallied to 17th place overall, but fell just short of joining the 16-driver Playoff field.

Byron’s win marked the fifth of the 2020 season for the Camaro ZL1 1LE; the 49th win at Daytona for the Bowtie Brand, and 791st all-time for Chevrolet in NASCAR’s premier series.

Byron becomes only the second driver to earn a Cup Series victory in the No. 24 race car following Jeff Gordon, who took the No. 24 to Victory Lane 93 times. The win is the 260th triumph for car owner, Rick Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports.

Toyota drivers Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex, Jr. finished third and fourth, respectively, at the finish.

Of the 16 drivers now secured in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, five are Team Chevy contenders: Joining Hendrick Motorsports teammates Elliott, Bowman, and Byron, are Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Dow VORASURF Camaro ZL1 1LE for Richard Childress Racing, and Kurt Busch, aboard the No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE for Chip Ganassi Racing.

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues next weekend at Darlington Raceway with the Cook Out Southern 500, the opening round of the 2020 Playoffs, on Sunday, September 6 at 6:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage will air on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for taking the time to join us. Congratulations on the win, the Playoff berth, everything. Can you walk us through how you’re feeling right now?

        WILLIAM BYRON: Well, incredible. On Cloud 9 for sure. There was a point in that race that I didn't really think things were going to work out in our favor to make the Playoffs, really have an opportunity next week. This was kind of one of those do‑or‑die situations. Kind of crossed that fork in the road tonight. We were able to be aggressive and make it happen.
       Really just the final probably 10 laps of the race I was on offense, trying to just win the race and take whatever run I could. Luckily was able to make the moves that I needed to. Got just enough daylight between the 22 and the 43 to kind of split that gap. I pushed the 43 really aggressively up, and he had done a great job to hold onto his car, get us to that place and position.
       From there, the next restart got a great push from the 14. I was fortunate that things worked out to where I had the 9 with me on the last lap, was able to make it work.
       Just incredible. Don't even know what to say really. It's a huge blessing.

        THE MODERATOR: We'll open up the floor for questions.

       Q. Can you describe your emotions from the first red flag where things didn't look that great to the finish where you score your first career win and get in the Playoffs?
        WILLIAM BYRON: Honestly the emotions for me were just to make it happen, try to get where I needed to be. I was taking every single run in the last five, six laps of that race. I think that's what you're supposed to do. It's what Dale Jr. has taught me at JRM days. Really was able to work it out.
       Very fortunate that the runs did work out because a lot of times they don't. This time they did, so it was great.

       Q. The first year that this race was at Daytona, end‑of‑the‑season race. Can you imagine it being more pressure filled or were you relaxed throughout?
        WILLIAM BYRON: You couldn't have picked a more pressure‑packed race. When you're at a superspeedway, the running order changes every two laps practically, it's incredible to put that much pressure on a couple of points. You really can't points race, which I think is probably what they want us to do. They want us to go for wins, try to compete hard. It was a perfect format for that.
       I'm fortunate that worked out for us. I probably would have been frustrated if it didn't. It really forces your hand to go for the win. You just got to go all out. Pretty incredible.
       Kind of elimination style race this was tonight. I think it prepares us for the future eliminations coming up in the Playoffs. Really had the feeling of what it was like being in the Xfinity championship race. Was pretty crazy out there.

       Q. Back to Dover, first race, it was a struggle for you guys. On the radio you were pretty frustrated with each other. Was there a conversation between you and Chad after that race to clear the air?
        WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, I mean, I think through those situations, they're not pretty. It was the worst time of the year to have a bad race like that. We learned more about each other in those moments, in those situations.
       I think I learned a little bit about him, what things I could learn, how to communicate better. He learned a little bit about me, as well. I think that's what's propelled us into this hot streak we're on.
       We had a fourth on Sunday, then under pressure ‑‑ both races were under extreme pressure and we executed. That's a good sign for what's coming up.

       Q. You talked about learning. What did you learn about him and he about you?
        WILLIAM BYRON: Just tones, what information is helpful, what's not. It's not personal by any means. It's just what's helpful. What can I do to help him get the car better, and what can he do to help me.
       We had a phenomenal run on Sunday at Dover, drove from I think we started 23rd and finished fourth. That was a great run. Come here and win the race is incredible. Thankful for his support. Just really blessed.

       Q. Chad is an intense competitor. Is it hard to match that intensity, have a crew chief that is telling you what to do, sometimes maybe too much?
        WILLIAM BYRON: It's not hard. He just wants it as bad as I do. Some crew chiefs I guess are a little bit more laid back. I don't know. We both want it really bad. We want to try to win races and keep it going.

       Q. We're going back a couple years, but when you first entered the Cup Series, did you imagine getting your first win a little bit earlier? Did you ever question yourself and think if you could really get it done?
        WILLIAM BYRON: No, I think you just got to capitalize, given the opportunity. The opportunities in the Cup Series to win races, it's hard. You just got to capitalize. It came together tonight. We capitalized.
       I don't know. It's the best series, really it's tough out there. You got to fight really hard. I've learned a lot, learned a lot about how to get to that next step. So hopefully we just keep it going.

       Q. After 98 tries, when you crossed the finish line, what was the first thought that popped into your head?
        WILLIAM BYRON: The Playoffs. I guess just thinking about that. Honestly the first thought probably was just how excited I knew that my team was, how excited Tab was on the radio, how excited Chad was, how excited I was.
       That feeling of coming off four, it's just a shot of adrenaline right into your arm, it really is. It's just an incredible feeling. I can't describe winning a race in NASCAR. It's been a while, so it just is an awesome feeling.

       Q. Before today where would you have expected to get your first Cup win if not Daytona?
        WILLIAM BYRON: I didn't really expect it anywhere. I think this was probably a great opportunity for it. I didn't really expect it anywhere. I think we came really close at Martinsville last year racing Truex, ironically racing Martin again tonight.
       I don't know. Whenever you're really, really close, you got to capitalize. Definitely thankful that it worked out tonight.

       Q. With 15 to go, late in the race, the call to bring your car down pit road, was there any emotions behind the wheel thinking the chance to make the Playoffs was out the window at that point?
        WILLIAM BYRON: No. I mean, I think Chad and I had a good plan going in that we wanted to be able to be aggressive. We ran quite a bit of laps on those tires, some pretty hard ones, two‑ and three‑wide at the front. I think it was the right call.
       Yeah, it was pretty jammed up and hard to get back up towards the front. But there's always a lot of laps left at these tracks. I really think the good fortune of the race was when we missed that wreck. I just had a feeling after missing that wreck that we were in a good position. We kind of crossed that one hurdle that seems to take at this track to really win races. As soon as you do that you kind of got to capitalize on it.
       I knew once we got to two or three to go we had a great opportunity. Typically, there's some things that happen on that final restart that I've noticed. We were just in the right position. Kind of being second there might have been the better position to be in. We're really fortunate that worked out, the 14 was pushing us, then just had to be aggressive.

       Q. With all of the strategizing on superspeedways, how important is the spotter and the crew chief encouraging you on?
        WILLIAM BYRON: I think it's probably the most critical thing on the speedway, knowing where other cars are in terms of whether that comes from your spotter or the mirror. I feel like it's a little bit of both. You use your spotter as a guide. It's kind of 50% of the equation. The other equation is your mirrors.
       I think we try to spend a lot of time in the shop getting that stuff right. It paid off tonight, just knowing where other cars are, especially in the last couple laps, being able to watch your mirrors.
       iRacing has some good programs on there for the realism aspect of the visuals. Kind of learned some things off of that, too.

       Q. Do you feel if you had not taken the move between the 22 and the 43 that you would have likely been involved?
        WILLIAM BYRON: I don't really know what happened. I don't know if I directly caused it or not. Sure I had a role because cars were bouncing off me both sides.
       They bounced off each other. The 22 made a late block. They bounced off each other. I had already pushed the 43 into that hole, so I was committed.
       At that point not the middle but daylight opened up between the two cars after they bounced off each other. They kind of separated. I had enough of a run to stick in it there and complete it practically. I was going to go for that because I needed the points and I needed to try to finish the race in first, second or third. I really had that in mind.
       As soon as that happened I really went for it. Then the final restart was really me versus Denny and the 19. It came down to just a couple guys. I had to try to make it happen there, too.

       Q. How much information did you get from Tab to get through that wreck? Did you go through it with both eyes open?
        WILLIAM BYRON: I did. Tab played a really big role there. I mean, he said to go low before I even thought about going low. I was kind of in the middle of the track. I was on the top of three‑wide. I just made a move on the 19 to get to the outside of him into turn three. I saw the 18 start to smoke up there. I was hoping he would hold it against the wall and not cause a wreck. I think a wreck happened right behind him.
       However, it formed, those guys just started to kind of go up against the wall. I still had enough momentum to kind of try to get by it. Tab said to go low and gas it up. He was really on his game there. You just got to go for any daylight that you see, just hope it works out.
       Luckily the 37 kind of went back up the track, I gassed it up to get by. It just worked out. It was incredible really. I think that was a turning point for sure. Very fortunate that worked out to allow us to have an opportunity.

       Q. You alluded earlier how the first thought in your mind was you were in the Playoffs. That starts next week. Is it difficult to get your first win, have to quickly shift focus to race in the Playoffs?
        WILLIAM BYRON: I mean, fortunately we have pretty long weeks now with no practice and qualifying. Kind of get a few days to take it in. I think we get two more days than normal. Got Sunday tomorrow, which I'm probably going to hang out with some buddies, try to have a good time. Then Monday, Tuesday we'll get ready for Darlington.
       We had a pretty good car there. We're going to make some improvements. Darlington is a track we traditionally have run well at. Looking forward to that one, for sure.

       Q. When you look back on this race 20 years down the road, what are you going to remember most about it?
        WILLIAM BYRON: Just the excitement of crossing the line. It's been a long time coming for this win in the Cup Series. I was thinking the other day before this race actually just how long it's actually been since I've won a race. I've really been wanting to win and have that feeling again of adrenaline.
       The Duel this year was kind of half of that, I'd say, three‑quarters of that feeling. I just want that feeling again. This is awesome, man. It's going to be great to celebrate with my family. Just extremely blessed and fortunate that it worked out.

        THE MODERATOR: William, thank you so much for taking the time to join us. Congratulations on the win. We will see you at Darlington.

        WILLIAM BYRON: Thanks, guys.

CHAD KNAUS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

THE MODERATOR: Chad, thank you for joining us. We are joined by the crew chief of the winning No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team.
Walk through what it feels like to be with William to get that first win and the Playoff berth.

        CHAD KNAUS: The emotions obviously have run rampant over the last few weeks with the position we've been in. It's been unfortunate the 24 has been back this far, needing to battle so hard for the Playoff spot.
       Coming into the weekend we were optimistic. We felt like we were going to have a good race car. Felt like the car was going to perform well. We knew William was really good at superspeedway racing. He's done exceptionally well at the restrictor plate tracks, been able to get a lot of stage points.
       Going into today we really didn't know what was going to happen, obviously. There was a lot of excitement and energy coming into the track this weekend. To be able to get out there and race competitively all race long, William doing a really good job of missing some critical crashes out there, put us in a good spot to get the victory, for Liberty and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports.
       It was a long time coming. Obviously the goal for me was to try to get to Victory Lane with this 24 car again. To be able to do it here in Daytona is really special.

        THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Chad.

       Q. You've been part of a lot of big moments, big‑time performances. How big is this in the sense of Byron with all the pressure on winning?
        CHAD KNAUS: I think it's really big obviously. The one thing to be selfish from my standpoint is I wanted to get to Victory Lane with a car number as a crew chief without Jimmie Johnson on top of the door. Nothing against Jimmie or any of that, but just to do it, to see if I could accomplish it.
       We've come close, had some really solid runs with the 24 car. Not as many this year as we would have liked to have had. To do it really means a lot, to be able to bring this team into the Playoffs again. Last year in the Playoffs we performed really well. I'm really excited about the Playoffs this year. I think we have some racetracks at that we'll run competitive. We'll see what goes.

       Q. What were your thoughts on the first red flag?
        CHAD KNAUS: Obviously we were curious of what was going to happen. We knew there's a long ways to go before the race was over with.
       Laps here at Daytona just take forever. There's so many opportunities for guys to be aggressive, push. We knew there was going to be a lot more action before the race was over with. We needed to get ourselves in a position to get out there and battle with it.
       William held true and did a really good job of keeping focused, keeping his eyes forward, watching the guys behind him. Tab, our spotter, did a good job of keeping him informed of what was happening around us. We were in a real good position after skirting that crash.

       Q. How do you move forward and try to make sure this team advances?
        CHAD KNAUS: It's all in the details, right? We have to make sure that we execute properly. Going to Darlington, a great racetrack for us. We've run well there. Sat on the pole there last year, ran up front. Ran up front in the first race in the spring this year. Unfortunately, we had a loose wheel and crashed. Second race we ran reasonable. But we didn't execute the details as well as what we needed to.
       Getting back to Charlotte, getting back to work on Monday, executing the way we need to to make sure we take a race car over there, I think we have a competitive opportunity to go there and run up towards the front. That's what we need to do.
       I'm not sure where we start. I'm sure somebody could tell me what our starting position is. That's going to be critical with pit selection. If we can be up towards the front, get our legs out from underneath us, get going, we're going to be okay.

       Q. You mentioned the Jimmie aspect of this, trying to win without him. How do you handle the emotions of this win, having a role in excluding Jimmie from the Playoffs in his final season?
        CHAD KNAUS: Man, c'mon. I feel awful. Let's be quite honest, right? Jimmie shouldn't be in this position. If it hadn't been for COVID, him missing a race, he should have been solid in the Playoffs. That hurts.
       I hate it for Jimmie. He's one of my best friends. He was the first guy that came by pit road and looked up at me, revved up the engine, gave me a thumbs up. He means the world to me. He's a great man and brother of mine.
       It hurts me, but it is what we do, we compete. We've got to go do what we need to do.

       Q. The red flag, you seemed to be going back and forth on pitting, tire rub or not. Seemed like there was some indecision. Walk me through that.
        CHAD KNAUS: Oh, man, it was tough. It was tough. Obviously we knew we had some damage on the left rear tire, at least some contact. The lettering was rubbed off the sidewall of the tire. There was some contact there. We didn't really know how bad it was. It was a tough spot, right?
       We knew we were ahead of the 48 at that point. We should have been obviously, we would have been, if we came down pit road. There was the opportunity for the 95 or the 17 up there to maybe push through and get the win, which would have then bumped us out. We had to make a decision on whether to go for it, see if we could make it for the two laps or pit.
       With the way our luck has been this year, quite honestly I was leaning towards pitting, making sure the fenders were clear from the tires, getting out there and get a good finish, making sure we finished five or six spots ahead of the 48.
       As we ran around, got some help from our TV partners out there, they took the drone, running around the car, I was able to see what the damage looked like. It helped us realize that we felt we were clear and we could make it a couple laps.

       Q. Does this prove to yourself that you can win without Jimmie Johnson?
        CHAD KNAUS: It makes me feel good, for sure. Jimmie could have probably won a lot more races if he had a better crew chief than me. How is that (smiling)?

       Q. On the radio after you won the race, you're still being a crew chief, reprimanding. You seemed subdued. That is a fair assessment?
        CHAD KNAUS: Big dummies. I told them to go out there so they would get on TV and get a good picture of themselves. I told them to stay six feet apart. The first thing they did was go over there and picked up the driver. We're going to hand out some team fines out. Just kidding (laughter).

       Q. Is it that you have a young team, have to mold them?
        CHAD KNAUS: You have to do that with any team. Any head coach or coach does that, right, if you're trying to keep your guys safe and do what's right. In this situation we've got to make sure we're being smart about how we approach everything at the racetrack. Yeah, I was just telling them to give each other some space, still enjoy the time, but get some space.

       Q. After how long it took William to get this win, how do your feelings tonight compare to what you experienced with Jimmie back in 2002 at Fontana?
        CHAD KNAUS: Oh, geez. I don't know if I can remember back that far. That was a long time ago.
       It's a different emotion. It's a different time. Obviously in 2002 it was just different. It was so raw and so pure, just a different time. William is experiencing those emotions right now obviously. I think it's fantastic. We've got a handful of guys on the team that have never won a Cup race before. They're going through those same emotions.
       For me it's quite honestly a little bit more of a relief than maybe the elation of victory. I'll be honest with you. I really wanted to get to Victory Lane with this 24 car again. To be able to do it with the legacy that Jeff Gordon and Ray Evernham started with this car, at Hendrick Motorsports to get it back to Victory Lane, follow suit with what Chase was able to do with the 24 car, to put William's name up there, it's a lot of pressure. I feel really happy about it and definitely a lot of relief.

       Q. Throughout this race obviously it stayed calm for the most part. Daytona typically plays out, you get some big wrecks at the end. Did you see this playing out or did it have a different feel?
        CHAD KNAUS: I think it definitely had a little bit more ‑‑ it depends on the situation. If you're a guy that is locked into the Playoffs, you have a bunch of wins, don't have to worry, it probably felt like it did in July from their perspective.
       For myself and the 21 and the 48, the handful of guys trying to win a race to make it into the Playoffs, I guarantee you the intensity was way higher. The pressure that they all felt was significantly different.
       For me it was high. It was really high. But quite honestly, I love it. That's why we do what we do. That's why we compete. If it was easy, nobody would want to do it. Yeah, it felt really good after the race when we got that checkered flag.

       Q. Chevrolet's performance at the start of the year, looked like you were back. COVID, summer months. Where do you feel you are competitively, close that 50‑point gap to Harvick?
        CHAD KNAUS: Gee, whizz, already asking me that question?
       I think our superspeedway program looks fantastic, really good. I think we can go to Talladega and race well there. Our road course package obviously is really good. I feel comfortable with that. Darlington, I think we get around there pretty well. Martinsville we get around really well.
       Probably the sticking point for me right now is Richmond. I'm really not certain about that. Some guys run really well there, we haven't as of late. Phoenix I think we can run pretty well.
       Man, I think we got a shot. Our package is picking up speed. I think we've seen that based off the performance at Dover last weekend. I think we ran really well along with our teammates. I think that kind of shows what we're capable of. We ran well on Sunday, not on Saturday, but I think you get my point.
       I think we've got a shot to get up there, fight with these guys a little bit. I'm not going to say we can't, but we haven't shown we can get out there and run races with those guys as consistently as they can, finish in the top five as consistently as they can. Sometimes it only takes a little spark to light a fire, and maybe this is just that spark.

       Q. I read something that said you have now made every single Playoffs. Explain how that feels to you with some of the greatest crew chiefs.
        CHAD KNAUS: I think it's great. Obviously it's an honor to be able to be in this position, battle year in and year out for the championship. Some of them better than others obviously.
       But I do feel that some of the guys that I've seen come and go through our sport were better crew chiefs than myself. I maybe just had a little bit of luck on my side from time to time to get us to this position.
       It's pretty cool. Hopefully that will go on my plaque one day when they hang it on the wall. Who knows.

       Q. With 15 to go, bringing William down pit road, cost a lot of track position at the time, but was there any doubt William was going to be stuck back there?
        CHAD KNAUS: Man, I was kicking myself in the butt right after we did it. I was a little frustrated. Man, maybe we shouldn't have done that. Maybe we should have stayed out.
       Quite honestly, I see maneuverability be so important at the end of these races. Getting tires at this track on a short run like that I think is a good thing. I feel like we were going to get back up there and run. Crashes happen. Having fresh tires, it's easier for the drivers to navigate around the crashes. We opted to do it. We've had success in the past making some decisions like that.
       Even though at one point there it wasn't looking great, it panned out. It kind of happened the way we thought it would have. If we were up front, we would have been swept up with the 3 and the 1. I think it was the right call now looking back. It was the right call at the time.

       Q. You've faced a lot of questions concerning Jimmie Johnson, but one more. What was it like, the transition between being the crew chief for Jimmie Johnson and now William? Did you have to change the way you were a crew chief for the different drivers?
        CHAD KNAUS: Yeah, of course, obviously. I also had to change the way I was a crew chief for Jimmie from the way we started in 2002 to when we ended in the middle 2015s.
       I think, look, like I've said, I'm a good crew chief, I'm not the best crew chief that's ever walked out there by any means. I think a good coach understands the situation and understands how to morph and adapt to the circumstances you're in. Working with William is a completely different set of circumstances than what it was working with a seven‑time championship driver.
       I think we've done a pretty good job. Great, no. But we've done a pretty good job. We have been able to make the Playoffs both years. Now we are fortunate enough to have a victory. Hopefully we can get out there and have some success in the final 10 races.

        THE MODERATOR: Chad, thank you so much for taking the time to join us.

        CHAD KNAUS: Thank you.

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
AUGUST 29, 2020

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
2nd CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
5th BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
7th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE
8th BRENDAN GAUGHAN, NO. 62 BEARD OIL DISTRIBUTING CAMARO ZL1 1LE

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st William Byron (Chevrolet)
2nd Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
3rd Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
4th Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)
5th Bubba Wallace (Chevrolet)

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL PLAYOFF CONTENDERS:
POS. DRIVER
5th CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
8th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE
9th WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
10th AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW VORASURF CAMARO ZL1 1LE
15th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE

16 UNOFFICIAL PLAYOFF CONTENDERS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Kevin Harvick (Ford)
2nd Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
3rd Brad Keselowski (Ford)
4th Joey Logano (Ford)
5th Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
6th Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)
7th Ryan Blaney (Ford)
8th Alex Bowman (Chevrolet)
9th William Byron (Chevrolet)
10th Austin Dillon (Chevrolet)
11th Cole Custer (Ford)
12th Aric Almirola (Ford)
13th Clint Bowyer (Ford)
14th Kyle Busch (Toyota)
15th Kurt Busch (Chevrolet)
16th Matt DiBenedetto (Ford)

The NASCAR Cup Series seasons continues at Darlington Raceway with the Southern 500 on Sunday, September 6,, at 6:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBCSN, the NBC Sports Gold app, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES (Including post-race press conference transcripts for Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson):
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Race Winner
WHAT A DAY TO GET YOUR FIRST NASCAR CUP SERIES CAREER WIN! YOU PITTED FOR FOUR TIRES, GOT BACK IN TRAFFIC. AT THAT MOMENT, DID YOU THINK A WIN WAS EVEN POSSIBLE?
“Oh, yeah! I had confidence in (crew chief) Chad (Knaus) and the guys that we could get four tires and make the most of it. So, I’m just extremely blessed, and this is incredible. It’s been a hard couple of years in the Cup Series and trying to get my first win and gel with this team. These guys did an awesome job today and got us in the Playoffs and it’s amazing.”

HOW INTENSE WAS THE RACING TONIGHT AND RACING YOUR TEAMMATE, JIMMIE JOHNSON, KNOWING IT WAS A POINT OR TWO, IT COULD SWING EITHER WAY? WHAT WAS THAT LIKE IN THE PACK ALL NIGHT LONG?
“This is probably the hardest track to points-race. We had a great Stage 2 and kind of got back in the pack and got shuffled when everyone went single file. I thought my hopes were up there. And we were racing around the No. 21 (Matt DiBenedetto) and the No. 48 (Johnson) in the final stage and I was like man, I’ve got to really make something happen. Luckily, I was able to push the No. 43 (Bubba Wallace) and he and the No. 22 (Joey Logano) made some contact and opened up a hole for me, and I wasn’t going to lift. It was awesome. Thanks to Liberty University, Chevrolet, and it’s amazing.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 2nd
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE RACING TONIGHT, CHASE?
“It was pretty wild from my seat. I was surprised it took us as long as it did to wreck, for sure. But I’m really proud of our Hooters team. I feel like we had faster Chevrolet’s than we’ve had in the last couple of trips, which was good. It didn’t drive as good as I think it probably should have, but I do think we were better by a pretty large margin, so that was nice. Congratulations to William (Byron) – getting your first win is something he’ll never forget and that’s a really special moment for him. He’s worked really hard for that. I’m happy for him, Chad (Knaus) and all of the 24 team. They’ve done a good job.”

WAS THAT YOUR FOCUS, TO JUST STICK WITH WILLIAM AND MAKE SURE HE STAYS UP FRONT?
“To a point, yes. If I had a run to do something on my own, I certainly would have like anybody else. But I just never had an opportunity that wasn’t going to hurt both of us. I feel like if it could have ever just been he and I one-on-one or put myself in a position to get around him, it would have been good and nothing wrong with that. But just the way it all kind of worked out, my best option for my best finish was to push him. I certainly would rather push him than some others, for sure. ”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th
“Super pumped for William (Byron) and the entire No. 24 team. Really cool to see them get the win. Bummed for Jimmie at the same time. It is a big mix of emotions there for Jimmie to miss it. Overall, not a bad day for the No. 88 team. Had a really fast car, didn’t drive really well though. I have no clue how we didn’t crash some of those times. We got really lucky there at the end and ended up with a solid top-10 finish.”

BRENDAN GAUGHAN, NO. 62 BEARD OIL DISTRIBUTING CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 8th
“The Beard Oil Distributing Chevrolet Camaro had a heck of a run tonight. We saw pay dirt there at the end – third place coming out of turn four. The 19 car just side drafted us and pulled us back. I didn’t have any help behind me but what a night. I just have to say thank you so much to the Beard family, Darren Shaw (crew chief) and Ron Lewis, my spotter. I also want to say thank you to Richard Childress and ECR motors for all they do for us. Two top-10s this year at Daytona – what a way to go out. It was so much fun. We will see everyone in Talladega and we’ll actually be able to take the same racecar because it’s in one piece.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 17th
HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE DAY?
“First and foremost, congratulations to my teammate getting his first Cup win like that. This setting and the drama to go with it – that’s a big win for Chad Knaus and William Byron. I’m really happy for those guys. I really felt like we had a way to transfer, to win, or point our way in the way it went in the first two stages. Things just got ugly down in turn one. Unfortunate, but that’s plate racing.”

YOU SEEM LIKE YOU HAD THE SPEED TODAY. THE 48 CAR LOOKED LIKE IT WAS A POTENTIAL RACE WINNER, AT LEAST A TOP-FIVE CAR.
“Yeah, we had a really good car. The last couple of months, we’ve been really getting our act together and running well. Definitely disappointed to not be in the Playoffs – that was the number one goal to start the year. But when I look back at the disqualification at Charlotte and then missing the Brickyard 400 due to my COVID-19 positive test and only miss it by six points – we did all that we could this year. I’m so thankful for Hendrick Motorsports and the career that I’ve had there, the relationship with Ally and their continued support for this race team. Cliff Daniels and these guys on my team – they pour their guts out for me. There’s 10 races left, 10 trophies to go chase and we’ll have to focus our efforts there.”

YOU MENTIONED CLIFF – I KNOW HE SAID NOT MAKING THE PLAYOFFS WOULDN’T DEFINE YOUR SEASON AND IT CERTAINLY WOULDN’T DEFINE YOUR CAREER. IS THAT ACCURATE?
“Yeah, it’s not fair to put on it. The last three years have been tough – we all know that. I think we’ve shown some bright spots and Cliff (Daniels, crew chief) has done a really good job of leading this team and taking this team in the right direction. I think we can show that and close out the year.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW VORASURF CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 25th
“Pulling into Daytona International Speedway for the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 400 tonight and seeing fans really pumped me up. It was great to have them at the track, and I think they were treated to quite the show. We had a fast Dow VORASURF Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Even though we had to start at the back of the field, we were able to work our way into the top-five and we had speed and handling. Things were getting exciting with less than 15 laps to go. I thought there was going to be a big run and I was going to be in the clear but it didn’t work out that way. I was on the high line and had nowhere to go when everyone started crashing in front of me. I should have known better. If you stay on the bottom you have an out. We ended up with a lot of damage to our Chevy and survived several additional end-of-race wrecks to nurse it home to a 25th-place finish. Obviously, not what we were hoping for but it’s just the situation. It’s the last race before the NASCAR Playoffs and we knew the action would be wild. I’m thankful we are locked into the Playoffs and I’m looking forward to running for a championship for everyone at RCR and ECR and all of our partners.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 KCMG CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by accident on lap 158; Finished 29th
“Our No. 8 KCMG Chevrolet team came out today with one goal, and that was to win. We gave it our all and came close to making the NASCAR Playoffs during my rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Our No. 8 KCMG Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was fast tonight and handled really well too. I have to thank RCR and ECR for always bringing such great engines and cars to the superspeedway races. My spotter, Derek Kneeland, and crew chief, Randall Burnett did a great job calling a race that got me up towards the front with 10 laps to go. I tried to make a move for the lead with about eight laps to go, and it didn’t work out like I planned. It unfortunately hurt our car and chance to win. I was clear for about a second when I went to make it, but it’s Daytona and things change quickly. There weren’t a lot laps left at that time, and you have to do what you can to try to win to make the Playoffs. I can’t thank KCMG, Caterpillar, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Alsco, Chevrolet and all our partners at RCR and ECR enough for their support during my rookie season. I promise we’re still going to be fighting hard every week for the next 10 weeks to get our first win in the Cup Series.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by accident on lap 151; Finished 32nd
YOU WERE HANGING IN THE BACK MOST OF THIS RACE AND YOU DECIDED TO GO TO THE FRONT AND THE AGGRESSION PICKED UP. DID YOU HAVE THE SPEED TO STAY UP THERE AND DO YOU THINK IT GOT A LITTLE IT AGGRESSIVE?
“No, I think the race kind of played out similar to what we thought it was going to. Starting in the back, we decided we would just kind of cruise in our Kroger Camaro. It was nice running the bottom there in that final stage with the 9 (Chase Elliott) and the 88 (Alex Bowman) behind us. I felt like we were making headway, got up beside the 18 (Kyle Busch) for the lead and it was tough with the 18 and the 11 (Denny Hamlin) together. But I thought with us, the 9 and the 88, I thought that we could keep our momentum up. Something happened behind them and they got shuffled and separated from me. Then there at the end, we were just running the top lane. It looked like the 8 (Tyler Reddick) tried to pull a slider, didn’t quite have him cleared and we all just kind of bunched up. Our Kroger Camaro was fast again. I had a lot of fun, but it sucks not to get the finish out of it.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by accident on lap 151; Finished 34th
“We were just digging on the bottom – I thought that was the best spot to be. Our Monster Energy Chevy was fast and we were all in the right spot, I thought, for what we needed to get done. Just got clipped from behind and our day is done. But, all-in-all, we’ve been coming together as a team – we just haven’t had the results to show it. I like the clarity and focus that we have on the No. 1 car heading into the Playoffs. It’s been a consistent season all the way until these last few, but now it’s time. Now we have to lay down everything we’ve got with Darlington, Richmond and Bristol coming up.”

“Thanks to Monster Energy, Chevrolet, GEARWRENCH. Sorry Ganassi guys – I didn’t bring it on home, but we were racing hard with nothing to lose. I thought the bottom was the safest spot, we just got clipped from behind.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Press Conference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: We’re now joined by Chase Elliott, our second‑place finisher in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
Talk us through the final laps, getting this second‑place finish.

        CHASE ELLIOTT: It was obviously pretty wild there at the end, like it always is. Really hard to know what's going to go, what isn't. Really unpredictable from my vantage point.
       Just kind of happened to be at the right place I feel to make up some spots on that last lap. Was in a position where I didn't think me making a move on William was going to benefit myself. It was better to kind of stick to him, get him shoved out in front of the 11 and those guys, hope he would be able to hold on from there.

        THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Chase.

       Q. Jim Campbell made it clear the last couple years for the Chevys to work together at the restrictor plate tracks. Did that plan work out as well as you had set in place? Do you feel you had to go with whatever line was moving, who there was to work with?
        CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, honestly this week was a little different from our vantage point. I felt like it was less this is what we have to do, but it was more of this is the objective. Kind of left it to the drivers, which I thought was a little better personally.
       Not every circumstance is always going to work out when you're just trying to stay nose to tail the whole time. There are instances where you can pick and choose who you want to help and who you don't. I think just knowing the objective, kind of letting us have a little bit of free rein there was really good.
       Jim has been really laid back and open to trying new things. I thought it was better as a group for us tonight, not because we won, but in general we were a little more fluid which I think is a good thing at these races.

       Q. We heard on the radio to stay with your teammate. Was there any other thought in your mind?
        CHASE ELLIOTT: I mean, yeah, I was looking for an opportunity for myself, for sure. I never saw an opportunity that I thought was going to benefit me. There were a couple opportunities that would have probably hurt both of us. I didn't see a scenario. Maybe there was. I'm certainly not the best plate racer, maybe there was a spot for me to make it work for me and go on to win.
       At the moment in time I didn't see that developing. Tried to give William the best shove I could, go on down the road.

       Q. You had a front row seat for the incident between Reddick and Kyle. Many guys were criticizing him for being too aggressive. What is your opinion?
        CHASE ELLIOTT: I mean, yeah, it was aggressive for sure. The same guys who complain about aggression are the ones who are rooting and shoving you out of the way at the next plate race. I've been on the other end of that, people jumping down your throat about that stuff. They'll be the ones doing it to you and taking advantage of you if you don't give it back to them.
       Yes, it was a little aggressive. At the same time I think the guys who win those races are aggressive, too.

       Q. Do you think the date change for Daytona being the last regular‑season event had any effect on the intensity later in the race?
        CHASE ELLIOTT: Certainly made for better storylines leading in. This race being in July, I feel like it just kind of got I don't want to say swept under the rug, but it was just one of those things that kind of came out in the wash by the end of the regular season.
       But with where it was tonight, it obviously put a lot more emphasis on tonight and the situation the guys around the bubble are in. That's really tough. That's a tough thing to come down here and have to perform. I think it's really honestly near impossible to guarantee that.
       Ultimately there were however many races before tonight to get yourself in a good position to not be on the bubble like that. Ultimately that's what it comes down to.
       To me the one person I feel the worst for is Jimmie, not because he didn't get in, but because the guy had to miss a race, how much of a setback is why he was on that bubble position. That's the guy I feel for through all that.

       Q. What do you think this win can do for William Byron?
        CHASE ELLIOTT: I thought he did a really good job. He performed under fantastic pressure I feel like in the Xfinity Series, too, when he was coming along. If you're racing for wins, you're never going to escape those situations, which is a good thing. It's a privilege to be in those spots.
       Yeah, he did a good job. He had good opportunities there at the end of the race and made the most of them, went on to grab his first win. More than anything, I'm just happy for him. I felt like they've ran well over the years and been close at times. Cool to see that team go to Victory Lane.
       I know some of their pit crew guys were guys I worked with when I was racing the Xfinity Series. Kind of a small community there. Yeah, just happy to see him get a win in the 24 car. That was something I really wanted to do because the only other guy to win was Jeff in that car. I thought that would have been a really neat honor to join him.
       I think he should really embrace that. That's a really cool thing, in my opinion, that he should definitely think about or one of y'all should mention to him when you interview him.

       Q. Looking ahead to the Playoffs, what will be the key to get over the hump of getting to the championship?
        CHASE ELLIOTT: I think just winning more consistently. We see the 11 and the 4 and those guys winning about every other week. When they're not winning, they're running second or third, right? You got to be doing that. You got to be up front more often. You can't hit it one week, then be off for three weeks, then hit it again, then be off for another three weeks, expect the cards to fall your way.
       I think for us, I look back to how we started the season, and I thought we were running really competitively. Is that a word? I felt like we were really close to where we needed to be.
       After the break I feel like we fired off good. Seems like we got behind a little bit. Then this past week at Dover I thought we were better than what we had been. We just got to get that consistency we had at the beginning of the season and when the break was over. I think we could compete with really whoever.

        THE MODERATOR: Chase, thank you for taking the time to join us. We will see you at Darlington.

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Press Conference Transcript:

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE SITUATION AND FEELING? AT THIS POINT, IS IT JUST SHOCK MORE THAN ANYTHING? EVEN TO BE SO CLOSE AFTER ALL YOU’VE GONE THROUGH. HOW DO YOU JUST DESCRIBE HOW YOU’RE FEELING?
“Yeah, that’s the disappointing part. To look back at the ones that got away, the ones I never got a shot at, like the Brickyard, and to only miss it by six points – I knew it was going to be an emotional couple of weeks going down this stretch. I knew the position we were in, so it’s not like this is a shocker or a surprise. So, my emotions are what I would have expected. I’m definitely disappointed, but we’ve been running well, still know I can win a race and there’s still races to win. A couple of beers and a flight home, I’ll get a good nights rest, try to shake it off tomorrow and just focus on the next race.”

JUST DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SAW IN THE WRECK AND KIND OF YOUR FEELING WAS ONCE YOU KNEW YOU HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.
“As we came by the start-finish line, I could see some rooftops moving around and I knew something was going on. I saw the 43 car on the outside wall, but he gathered it up and we all kind of got rolling again down into turn one. And then I could not see what really started things on the lower lanes. I got into the right-side wall just a little bit and then someone clobbered me from the bottom. Something happened in the lower lane that I didn’t see and somebody spun up into me.”

IS THIS ANY DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR LAST SEASON?
“I don’t know. I guess it’s very similar. I have not put as much on this being my last year as others have. It’s been about performing, it’s been about being competitive, it’s been about getting this race team back to where it deserves to be. Last year, we were in a rebuilding phase and had to overcome a lot. This year, I feel like we don’t really have much to rebuild – we just need to execute. So, I think I had more optimism this year to make the Playoffs than I did last year. If I go out and win a couple of races down the stretch, I’ll be really disappointed I’m not in the Playoffs. So, we’ll have to see how my emotions feel as the final 10 go on.”

HOW DO YOU PREVENT THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF THIS FROM LEAKING INTO THE REST OF THE SEASON OR EVEN NEXT WEEK? HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH IT NOW AND STOP IT FROM GOING FORWARD?
“It’s really this team. If our DNA was different, if our bond and relationship was different, we would have started crumbling a couple of weeks ago when the pressure was really on. You could tell from our performances that hasn’t been the case. The accountability and belief we have in one another really carries the tempo and the mindset for the team. The guys were bummed out on pit lane as I was getting out of the car – my team members were. But we all know that there’s 10 more races to try to win. That’s where everybody’s focus is – to try to send me out with a trophy.”

WHAT DO FEEL SEEING CHAD KNAUS CELEBRATE IN VICTORY LANE WITH A DRIVER OTHER THAN YOU?
“I’m so happy for him – I really am. He is a brother to me. The bond, relationship and friendship we have – I am genuinely so happy for Chad Knaus, William Byron and that entire 24 team. For one, Chad and my relationship with him and two, they’re my teammates. I’m in the trenches with them week in and week out. William I’ve known for a long, long time. Many of you will remember me telling a story about him trick-or-treating at my house when he was a kid. So, to see him win his first race on this big stage with all the pressure, I’m really happy for both of them. I knew there was a path in to make the Playoffs if William did win and I felt like we were in a really good position to do that. But that crash that we got caught up in really took our chances away.”

HAVE YOU SEEN CHAD (KNAUS) TAKE ON A DIFFERENT PERSONA WITH WILLIAM (BYRON) THAN HE HAD WITH YOU AS A CREW CHIEF? HE SEEMS MORE HANDS-ON EVEN MORE THAN HE WAS AND KIND OF MORE OF ALMOST A TASK MASTER, A TEACHER KIND OF THING.
“Honestly, that’s one of Chad’s strengths and what he’s always done so well. I feel like his wisdom, experience, accountability and the bond that you have with him being his driver – he’s a great teacher. I think at some point where he and I went wrong with the pressure and our success, a lot of different things kind of weighed on us. And when the performance wasn’t there, the decay started and we had our issues. When Mr. Hendrick chose to put William with Chad, I knew why and I knew they were going to be good. I expected them to win a little sooner, but I’m so happy for them that they did get this win on such a big stage.”

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE RIGHT NOW TO BOTH THE NO. 48 TEAM, WHO DID JUST EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO GET YOU BACK IN THE RACE WHEN THAT WRECK HAPPEN, AND THE NO. 48 FAN BASE?
“There’s 10 more chances to take a trophy home. That’s all we’re focused on at this point. Nothing else matters – it’s about winning races and finishing up this year as we should.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.